Two UAB soccer gamers suffered stab wounds in an incident that occurred on the faculty’s soccer facility on Saturday morning, in accordance with AL.com. The suspect, one other UAB participant, is in custody, the varsity stated in an announcement. The 2 injured gamers are in secure situation after being transported to UAB Hospital with non-life-threatening wounds. An investigation into the incident is underway.
The varsity has not recognized any of the gamers concerned, however Jefferson County (Ala.) jail data present that Daniel Mincey, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman from Pompano Seashore, Florida, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and tried homicide. Mincey, who spent his freshman season at Kentucky earlier than transferring to UAB, was booked at 12:40 p.m. Saturday and stays in custody.
“We’re grateful to report that two gamers injured in an incident this morning on the Soccer Operations Constructing are in secure situation. Our ideas are with them and their households as they recuperate. The suspect — one other participant — stays in custody and an investigation is going down,” the varsity assertion reads, through ESPN.
The incident occurred hours earlier than the Blazers had been scheduled to play South Florida at 3 p.m. ET at Protecting Stadium in Birmingham. The workforce elected to proceed with the sport as scheduled, the varsity stated.
“The workforce elected to play immediately’s sport. UAB’s high precedence stays the protection and well-being of all of our college students. Given affected person privateness and the continuing investigation, now we have no additional remark presently,” the assertion says.
After the sport, a 48-18 loss for the Blazers, interim coach Alex Mortensen addressed the incident and the way his workforce responded all through the day. Whereas the workforce total selected to play, Mortensen famous that a number of gamers opted to sit down out, a choice that he and his employees revered.
In his opening assertion, Mortensen expressed gratitude that each injured gamers had been in secure situation.
“Greater than something, I am simply grateful that these two gamers are in secure situation, and we are going to make it possible for they’ve the assist that they want,” Mortensen stated. “I hope you’ll be a part of me in lifting them and their households in your ideas and prayers, as our workforce is doing. I additionally ask that you just respect their privateness as they cope with what occurred.”
Mortensen added that the varsity will present “assist and sources” for all gamers affected by the incident. Requested why the workforce selected to play the sport in gentle of the morning’s occasions, Mortensen stated the gamers needed to ensure the seniors acquired to play yet another residence sport.
“We spoke as a workforce, and we spoke with the workforce,” Mortensen stated. “These guys actually needed to play immediately. The dialog actually got here again to the seniors. With it being senior day, they actually needed to play for them and provides them a possibility to exit and compete and play. That was actually the most important factor.”
Regardless of the outcome on the sphere, Mortensen stated he was pleased with how his workforce got here collectively and supported each other. He understands there might be frustration after a lopsided loss, however Mortensen needed to credit score his workforce for preventing via horrible circumstances.
“I feel the factor that was evident to me was these guys love one another,” Mortensen stated. “This workforce is shut. They actually look after one another. I’d say this too. I am not one to lecture followers or any of that. This can be a career that is about competing and successful. I do know there are going to be people who find themselves annoyed.
“However I do hope that, the blokes who went on the market and fought immediately, they respect what they did and perceive what they went via immediately and the way exhausting they fought. And the way a lot they care about one another and representing this college and this program properly. I feel they went on the market and did it with class immediately. I actually did.”
UAB nonetheless has yet another sport remaining on its schedule, a street sport at Tulsa subsequent weekend, and Mortensen stated his workforce might be prepared.
“We’re gonna go compete,” Mortensen stated. “That is the best way I am wired. That is the best way I’ve at all times been wired. We’re gonna get to work, and I feel the blokes will too.”
